A/N: Huge thanks to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed! It makes me very happy! And thank you all for your patience! I'm very grateful to all of you still sticking with this story :)

I know, I took my sweet time to finish this one again, but I just struggle with the lime-y part every single time I try to write it. Sorry for that. Plus work and stuff...

And sorry for any mistakes/typos/whatever we might've missed.

Anyways! Enjoy!

I want to know every part of you, every scar, every bruise, I want to trace the map of you, my fingers a compass, your freckles the constellations which in my heart I will chart so when I close my eyes I'll have you in my stars forever. ― Atticus Poetry, The Dark Between Stars

I like someone who is a little crazy but coming from a good place. I think scars are sexy because it means you made a mistake that led to a mess. – Angelina Jolie

The words never meant much that's not how I loved, it was when she stroked my hair when she thought I was asleep that I knew she really did. – Atticus Poetry, Love Her Wild

When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too. ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

She wore his love like a loaded gun. ― Atticus Poetry, Love Her Wild

-Previously-

She couldn't even pretend to be offended at those words. She kissed his lips tenderly in response. "I love you too, Daiki."

At that surge of goofy fluffy emotions he squeezed her into a tight hug, making her squeal. She laughed and wrapped her arms around him.

"You know-"

-55 –

"You know–" she started, but then stopped, unsure what she actually wanted to say. She just felt this was so right, she wanted him to know that, yet it suddenly felt like a strange thing to say.

"What?" He asked curiously, looking at her.

The look in his eyes was just so soft, warm and loving. She wasn't used to that, Daiki with his walls down, not really. "I… I'm happy. I feel like home; safe and loved, and just-just right." There was no need to pretend, to feel bad about anything, to play games, to watch her back or try to one up him. It was just right. And she wasn't sure what to do with that feeling, because she could almost float.

Daiki blinked at her. She was looking at him with so much warmth he'd probably never seen in her eyes ever before. It could knock him over. And he hoped he'd see it many many times from then on.

"So… Thank you for not running away?" She added. Urgh, lame…

He chuckled, and kissed her softly. He needed a moment to collect his thoughts and put them to words. He'd never thought loving someone would be like this. So damn hot, but also so calm and sweet, and safe. He felt like that too: at home and safe.

"I know you gave me opportunities. But once I'm in, running away is really not my style, Sweetheart. You should know that by now." He teased with the nickname, but he meant it. Oh, what disputes those words had caused them before.

"Yeah, I do."

"So, y' ain't getting rid of me easily." He chuckled and hugged her tighter. This girl, he'd never let go. "Because this," he meant them, and she understood that, "is damn right."

"I would never want to get rid of you." A broad kind smile spread on her lips and she kissed him. Then he wiggled lower, wrapping his arms around her waist, and hid his face in the crook of her neck kissing her shoulder and the cute freckles she had there. He really enjoyed the skin on skin cuddles, Aya's fingers gently caressing the nape of his neck and back in comforting circles, sometimes diving into his hair. He could stay like that a whole day and he'd be completely satisfied.

And they did stay like that for a while, none of them raising any objections.

Until their stomachs rumbled as if synchronised. They laughed at that. Indeed, they had forgotten about dinner. And they did quite some things.

"Late night dinner?" She asked, through chuckles. And she did feel a bit cold already.

"Do you want to cook?" He certainly didn't feel like moving a muscle.

But she shrugged, relaxed and totally fine with it. "We are hungry. And maybe there is something already prepared in the fridge. If Taiga was kind enough, buuut… I wouldn't rely on that."

"Mhm…" His stomach rumbled again, but he just pulled her into a tighter hug.

"Daiki? If you want to eat, you have to let me go." She reminded him amusedly.

He grunted in discontent, but freed her, suddenly feeling cold when she sat up. He followed in suite, letting her get off the bed without climbing over him – not that he'd mind.

"Hey, how come you're still wearing that?" He grumbled, noticing she was still wearing panties.

"You asking me?" She teased with a raised eyebrow. "Hmmm, I don't know, because you decided to be a gentleman?"

"No, I'm an idiot… And there I said I wanted to see all of you." He grumbled quietly and pouted. She laughed heartily at that. "What are you laughi–" His voice trailed off and his eyes widened, when she actually pulled the last piece of her clothes off, dropping it on the small pile near the bed.

"There you go." She grinned.

He blinked looking her up and down lovingly. She was completely bare and smooth. He felt like pulling her back into bed for another make-out session. My beautiful daring little witch… Then he glimpsed something. It was barely visible from the distance, on her right hip side, on the inner side of her hipbone. His eyes stopped to give it a better look. It was like two marks. Interlocking circles. But, it looked… scarred? What was it? He was sure he'd seen something like that before, he just couldn't remember. He wasn't even sure he'd felt it when he'd touched her.

"Fair enough?" She asked, forcing him to look up at her and breaking his train of thoughts. She knew what he was staring at, and no, she didn't feel like explaining at the moment.

"Uh," he licked his lips and straightened up, not realising he had leaned forward in his curiosity. She was looking him up and down rather boldly too. "You sure we want to eat?"

Her stomach reminded them again that: "Yes, and I need a really quick hot shower or I'll freeze." She shivered a bit and he didn't like that.

######

Taiga wanted to crawl into a corner and pretend he wasn't in the room. Even though he was hungry, the dinner just didn't seem appetizing. It smelled awesome, it was awesome, but he didn't feel like eating in this tension. He pitied Derek; the poor guy was in a very uncomfortable atmosphere and couldn't even properly understand the language yet. If he got up and left it'd be weird too. But at least the driver managed to gobble up his dinner quickly. Taiga envied him that ability, he also envied Aya for staying home; she'd probably expected this.

First, grandpa had refused to greet Haruka or even look his way. Then, when Haruka had tried to somehow make peace and had gone to the workshop, there'd been several pieces of different tools flying out, quickly followed by Haruka himself. Taiga knew that grandfather could be unforgiving. He knew that as amazing, skilled, fair and proud a person as Taiki was, he sometimes tended to overdo it. Like right now.

There was nothing to be done about it. Only wait. Hours, days or even weeks… But Haruka and Taiga were there for one night only.

"Okay!" Hanae's clear voice cut the air. "I've had enough of this." She glared at both Taiki and Haruka, with a vein popping on her forehead. "The kid can't even eat my dinner while you two are beings such pricks."

They frowned and looked away. Not contradicting her, but not apologising either.

After one glance at desperate Derek, Taiga found an excuse for him; he knew the talking would be long, and the driver needed all the rest he could get, if he needed to drive them to Akita and then back home safely. Not to mention the hike that was expecting them the next day.

Hanae's eyes followed Derek as he departed to go have a good night's sleep. Then she turned back to her men. "He apologised to you!" She looked at Taiki; she was the only person qualified to oppose him. "Aya's forgiven him. And I don't see a further reason for you to be mad. Why hold grudges against your own family?"

"He didn't set a foot here for years. Years! Ignored calls, ignored his kids. And now he comes, like 'oh sorry, it was stupid, please give me advice?'? Geez'! I didn't bring him up like this! I am disappointed! Am I not allowed to?"

Hanae sighed. In a way, her husband was right. She felt disappointed too, but she was the mother. No matter what her kids would do, she'd love them the same. "Not everything is about upbringing, dear." She said, trying to soften her voice; it wasn't easy once she slipped into warring mode. "Haruka had the guts to come back, that's for sure. It took him long enough, but he's here. Now. And not for long. So… Shouldn't we hear him out? You never know…" if it isn't the last chance.

Taiki stared at her for a long time. Then he huffed and then he snapped at Haruka. "What the hell was that stunt with the Fairchilds, eh? Offering her for marriage? Were you trying to break her? Land the final blow?"

Haruka winced at the words, but he was also surprised; he'd expected a war longer than a few hours. With a grimace he took a deep breath and decided to talk. "Well…"

Taiga blinked at Haruka, he couldn't quite believe his father would openly talk with them or that he was allowed to stay and be a part of it. He wasn't sure he wanted to.

######

Daiki loved the huge bathroom with two sinks, the big bath and especially the huge shower they had. It was different from the usual bathroom he was used to at home. The tiles were made of dark greyish-brown stone; maybe they were real stone because the floor wasn't slippery at all despite being wet. He had a lot of space to move around the shower and even a small bench stuck out of the wall. It could probably fit two or three people sitting there. Luxurious and cool, were the only words he had to describe it.

When he got out, faster than usual, he found Aya in the kitchen, grinning at the fridge.

"Hmmm?" Daiki leaned over Aya's shoulder to see what amused her. He spotted two berry parfaits with cereals. One was with raspberries, the other with blackberries. And there was a folded note on top of them. "Who…?" He glanced at her curiously, because given her expression; she'd had no idea about the treat.

"Not me." She took the note and opened it. Reading the note from Taiga written in Russian, she started laughing. "Oh, dear brother, I love you so much."

"Huh?" He did not understand the language, nor could he read the Cyrillic.

"Sorry, sorry. The language just switched…"

He could understand that, he and his mom, even his dad (when he wanted), were bilingual too. Random language switches or mishaps happened. "And you said?"

"Uuuh… Dear brother, I love you so much."

He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head towards the note, "what does it say? And why… uh… Russian?" He guessed.

"Yeah, Russian. And because, Haruka doesn't understand it. It says: 'Dad was bored and made a dozen of these. It's not poisoned; we barely saved these two for you. Figured you'd have a sweet tooth after 'working out'. None for Ahomine though. Not one. He probably doesn't deserve it. P.S. I hope you used a condom.'" She read out loud, translating it for him, though Taiga did write some Japanese words phonetically in Cyrillic. Aya shook her head, chuckling at that. Sometimes they abused languages too much. But it was funny.

"What the hell does he think we've done?" He asked with a blush, not meeting her eyes. He knew they should make that issue straight for future occasions, but he sure didn't feel like bringing it up right now. And he doubted he could just casually start that conversation.

"He isn't that wrong." She teased.

He huffed and rather concentrated on those parfaits. They looked so tasty. Then he glanced at her by the corner of his eye, his blush disappearing. "You are gonna share it with me, right?"

She laughed, kissing him on the face. "After a proper dinner. You certainly do deserve one. Or half of each as I want to try out both."

He nodded agreeably. "So the old man cooks for you?"

"Yeah, he's always been a much, much better cook than mom. And this – he's definitely trying to bribe and cook his way back home. And he knows what he's doing." She shrugged, pulling out some chicken breasts from the fridge, she had ready for the next day and veggies. "Uh, you okay with chicken for late dinner right?"

"Yeah, sure. Have I ever complained about your cooking choices?"

"No? But sometimes you might want something else. For lunch, for example."

"Hmmm… You know I eat almost everything." And Aya's cooking was plenty good. She always tried to make lunches interesting and different; they never had the same thing twice in a two or three weeks. Plus he had a feeling that Satsuki had told Aya what he disliked, so not once had she made something he wouldn't want to eat. "Can I have demands, though?"

Aya stared at him. "Mhm, but don't push it too much."

"Or I might get nothing. Roger that." He grinned. He was in a very good mood. "Uh, can I help?"

"I've been wondering when you'd ask."

Aya put him in charge of preparing veggies, while she prepared the meat. They talked about whatever and Daiki found the small talk with Aya comfortable and nice. They talked about school, the matches, their families, their pets, and shared some funny stories. The music was softly playing on random in the background and Aya sometimes moved in the rhythm or tapped her foot against the floor; Daiki had never heard such a mixture of different genres in one place.

They ate their dinner in a similar atmosphere. Sweet and cosy. Sometimes brushing their legs against each other as they sat at the tall bar table. Only the small kitchen lights and a salt lamp were on, providing warm light and giving them some sort of a personal happy bubble in the huge open space. Aya was thoroughly enjoying the evening and the late-night dinner. After washing the dishes, they ended up curled together on the couch eating parfaits, sharing them, teasing each other and talking some more. But in the very back of her mind, Aya was thinking about Haruka and Taiga. She was curious how it went on that end.

She glanced at her phones; both of them were on the conference table, but she and Daiki didn't pay them any attention. The personal phone rang and they both jumped, startled. It was Taiga. It didn't surprise her, because she partly expected some news from him, then again, she wasn't sure he'd call, given the circumstances. She felt like she had summoned it.

"Uhm…" She stared at the phone and at Daiki in hesitation. She could decline it. She wanted to give Daiki her full attention. It was finally their alone time.

"Go ahead." Daiki hummed and took her almost empty parfait glass to free her hands – to finish the little there was left, while she was occupied by talking with Taiga. He liked both parfaits, but he fancied the blackberry one more, and he wanted to eat more than just a half of it. He hoped Aya wouldn't mind.

She smiled at her man, glanced at the parfait and waved it goodbye, knowing it was already doomed to Daiki's appetite, and picked up: "Survived?" She asked instead of greeting.

"Barely. If that adze hit his head, it'd split his skull."

"Yikes. That bad, huh… serves him right though. Where are you? I guess you're not in the dogs' shelter."

"Tree house, rooftop. There's signal up here too."

She glanced at the clock, "it's pretty late. Be sure you won't tumble down in the dark; I'd know, but I can't teleport to save you yet. So don't you dare do that to me! How did it go anyways? I s'pose jii-san isn't ignoring him?"

"Uh, no, but he tried. Baa-chan wouldn't have that. And we ended up talking a lot. About almost everything. I've never… Dunno… I've never thought I'd be a part of such a discussion. We talked about Fairchilds and dad's thoughts about them, Seth of course… I thought dad knew about those stupidity marks we have, I thought Seth had told him. But he stared at me as if I was crazy. And I had to show it. Urgh, so embarrassing. I found out he had no idea about the dog bite either. We even talked about the sport centre in Okinawa, I didn't know my grandparents knew. France… My team. I wish you were here too."

"How did you get to those things? Damn! I feel you. Totally terribly embarrassing, showing him that mark. You have more guts than me." She chuckled. "So, no, I don't regret staying back with Daiki. I wouldn't want to discuss any of that again. Not with Haruka, no, sorry. He hasn't believed me before, so… I'm glad I avoided this." She shrugged with a crooked smile.

"You've told him?"

"Not straight on. I hinted it, buuut I haven't told him-"

"You think Seth did?"

"He might have, but even if he did, I don't think Haruka believed him. Honestly? I don't think he knows who Seth is exactly, or where he came from. Sure, he knows some mild, softened half-truth story Gabi and Kyou made up to make it passable, but really… did you tell him anything vital tonight?"

"Uuuuhm not really. No, I don't think so. We didn't get to that. But he told me they were really looking for him."

She laughed dryly. "Good luck with that."

"Don't be pessimistic. Who knows, maybe he'll be back."

"That'd be nice. He'd definitely get along with Daiki better than Haruka."

"Hmmm… I wonder, but he liked Tatsuya too… Ah whatever, yeah, that's about today. It wasn't so bad. I might get to play some basketball with him tomorrow."

"And that needs to be recorded and brought to me. Tell Derek to take a video. And thanks for the parfaits; they've already fallen victims to our sweet teeth."

"Oh. Riiight, he's really staying over, I probably shouldn't disturb anymore?"

"You're not disturbing, not really. Just get down from there safely. And be careful tomorrow. There might not be any wolves in the wolf's den, but a bear might've made it into its home. And the place is just creepy."

"Dad's enough of a bear to scare the poor animal off. Plus the dogs could pass for bears too. We'll be safe."

She shook her head laughing. "Definitely. Say hi to Suzu for me and remind her we'll be expecting her to come watch the Winter cup."

"Yes, yes. Good night, sis'."

"Good night, Tai." She put the phone down with a sigh and a longing smile Daiki hadn't yet seen.

He licked the last bits of the sweet treat from his spoon and set both glasses on the conference table. Then he glanced at her, she was close enough he could hear the whole conversation and he was curious; just not sure what to ask first.

"You've heard it all, haven't you?" She asked and leaned forward to put the phone back on the table and then she curled back against Daiki's side.

"Pretty much." He nodded. The Seth person was starting to pop up more often, that and… marks? "Your grandpa sounds scary… and marks? What was that about?"

"…you've seen them… these," she pulled down the right side of her shorts just enough to show the hipbone and two circular scars he'd studied before.

He looked down and in the dim light from the kitchen it stood out more. It was definitely a scar. His hand slipped down her back and he traced it absently with his thumb, then quickly pulled back, realising she might not like that.

"It's fine. Except for the shoulder, I don't mind you touching." She hummed with a sigh, knowing this conversation would come.

"What is it anyways?" The moment he uttered the question it dawned on him; his father had a similar mark on his forearm. A cigarette burn. He frowned deeply, he knew of her scars, they didn't bother him one bit, but this one… Why was something like this there?

"Our stupidity mark. Unfinished, in my case." She said flatly.

He pulled slightly away to see her expression. It seemed she didn't want to look at him. "What exactly do you mean by that?" There was an angry undertone in his voice; he didn't want to sound angry, but the thought of someone hurting her like that made his blood boil. He prayed she wouldn't take it personally.

"Those are cigarette burns, which you probably know. And no, it's not self inflicted, but it was agreed upon." She sighed and looked at him, feeling ashamed. That mark was the only scar she hated from the bottom of her heart, but she refused to have it erased – it was a very important lesson the twins had learnt. "Do you really want to know about it?" She asked. If yes, she would tell him.

"Yes. So I know who to throttle for it."

That made her chuckle. "Okay, I should definitely warn you then."

He huffed and pulled her close again, she fitted against his side so well when she curled up. Like a kitty savouring his warmth. "Does Taiga have the same one?" He guessed from the contents of the call.

"The same spot, yeah, but he has three interlocking circles. Mine is unfinished, I only have two. It should represent the Borromean rings. Uhm… the symbol of unity. But for us it's a stupidity mark… it marks the worst possible thing I've-we've ever agreed to, because we were idiots at twelve." She started her story with that. Daiki should be warned as she was sure he'd eventually meet those three bastards.

###

Fairchild brothers, Thomas, Daniel and Peter, were slimy, sneaky bastards. Ever since they were kids. They got away with anything and everything, because their parents were rich. Because they were smart about it. Or, Thomas was smart about it, and he instructed and led the rest. People usually liked them right off the bat, because they played nice. Especially Peter, the youngest one. But when Kagamis had become their business partners and the twins at the age seven were introduced, it changed. They were all much older than the twins; they should've been loved, admired and looked upon like older brothers at first, so they could manipulate later. It hadn't happened. The twins were obviously trying to pull away and be with them as little as possible. Like the kids saw through the façade. Then again, they were forced to behave; polite talks, little exchanges, but they were always together and never spending time with the brothers alone.

Thomas wouldn't have that. So he worked for a few years to break the ice. Through parents too. The huge opportunity was their mother's death. Then that man halted it a bit… But the twins were cracked, and most likely to fall into their grasp. And that little girl was growing and maturing so fast, he'd seen her dance, and he wanted to get her one day. For all three of them to try. She was just so innocently unaware yet.

They finally picked the time right. Thomas had planned it. Using Peter to his best abilities, sweet talking them like a venomous snake.

"… you see… if you get the marks like us, we'll be connected. And we'll always have your backs. Isn't that what your father wants? Isn't that what your mom would've wanted?" Thomas pressed; the girl was suspicious at first...

"So we get marked, like you? And do you actually have it?" She asked, but her protests were getting weaker. It was fun to watch the twin bond, the more he won Taiga over, the less she protested. And he was just a charmer.

"Just like us, Aya-dear. Look," he showed her three cigarette burns he had on his arm, close to his right armpit. "You know, it's a smart thing to do." He caressed her cheek with a smile. "And it's also a test. If you can't pass it… well… there might be some consequences."

"…test?" Taiga asked curiously.

"You see, it's on a sensitive, hidden place. Not everyone can pride themselves with it. Only the strong get it done and carry it proudly. Because you can't scream or cry, while we burn it. And you can't tell anybody."

"Where?"

"Oh, where you chose, dears."

The twins exchanged glances. At the same time, they pointed at the same spot. Right hip side, where it'd be hidden by the underwear. They'd go for a foot, but they needed to walk home, and they doubted they could walk without flinching with fresh burns. Aya could, but Taiga not so much.

Oh, Thomas couldn't have been more delighted. He'd get to see Aya's underwear. He'd get so close. Maybe she was growing some hairs, she was twelve already, after all.

Taiga was to go first. Just in case the two restrained him, but each one of them would get their mark burnt. Thomas, as the oldest, would have the privilege to do it first.

Aya watched, wide eyed, as they took turns at burning the three marks on her twin. He didn't make a sound. He didn't cry. But oh, how much it hurt. She almost cried in his stead. That moment she fully realised the strong bond they had. She could almost feel the pain, like they'd burnt her too. And she knew he'd feel the same when it'd be her turn. She was scared. But she didn't want to disappoint, father, mom, anyone… They'd always wanted them to befriend the Fairchild brothers despite the age gap, that they were a good company. Maybe her instinct was just wrong… She felt like winning and being the best at dancing wasn't enough. It wasn't enough for father. He didn't congratulate her once. It was just one thing she happened to be skilled at. It didn't matter to Haruka if she won with a broken thumb or a fever. It was the norm already. And it was insignificant. Maybe this connection would make it better… Even Taiga had agreed. Volunteered to be the first. She couldn't be left behind.

She quivered when Thomas neared the cigarette to her sensitive skin. He'd pulled her underwear lower than Taiga's, not too much, but he did. And those two who held her in place... She was scared. But she wouldn't cry. She stared how the burning cigarette touched her skin. The pain just exploded. The smell of burning skin was disgusting. She threw her head backwards, squeezing her eyes and mouth shut. She couldn't look at Taiga. No, she couldn't.

Then Daniel's mark. He took longer than his brother. Almost like enjoying it.

Then… Peter's turn. Oh, how she hated that boy. More than the rest of them, she never understood why, but he made her stomach turn.

Before the third cigarette could finish the mark, the door flew open and all three Fairchilds snapped towards it.

"What the hell is going on?" Seth's raging voice filled the room. The kids were gone too long, it was too quiet. He had a feeling something was wrong. He'd had a suspicion. Thomas… he abhorred that little twisted snake. And he didn't doubt the others were just the same… already adults, trying to mess with two kids. How could Haruka not see it?!

"Just a test. They agreed to join our unity." Thomas said his voice laced with cruel satisfaction. Only this one man he feared. But he'd learnt these two were his Achilles' heel. "Right?" He looked at Taiga and Aya to back him up.

But the twins stared at their guardian with a mixture of shock and shame. Pale and speechless but also relieved. Seeing that, Thomas took a step back. Now he was scared.

Seth didn't need much more. He was at the group right away, pulling Aya out of their grip and shoving her to Taiga.

###

"Tell me he gave them a beating." Daiki pleaded, drawing circles on her side as he listened to the story. He'd never met those Fairchilds, but he wanted to punch them in the face already.

She chuckled. "Yes. He actually did. In a way they would not have a single bruise. Then he looked at us and said we were leaving. Calmly, quietly. He made up some excuse to force Haruka to get up and go. But he didn't talk to us that day at all. He had Gabi treat us, and he ignored us. It was scarier than anything…"

###

The next day, Seth seated the twins in the kitchen and sat opposite them with Gabi, who was fully knowledgeable of the story. Then he asked them to tell him a reason for agreeing. He wanted to know their opinion. He was calm and steady. He knew shouting would do no good.

And so they did. Looking down at their hands, they told him. But now, when they had the time to think…

"Those marks you got now… harshly put, they are stupidity marks." Seth said and rested his hands on the table. "They mean nothing. Don't believe, for a second, that those three would have your back, or be your friends in any way. What they did to you was plain torture. Tatsuya, Scott and the basketball gang, Raymond, Suzume, Alex, me, Gabi, Ivan… We are your friends, family. We have your backs, and we would never, ever, ask you to burn it in your skin."

"You're not scolding us?"

"No. It was stupid. I was angry. But you already got your permanent punishment." Seth sighed with a sad look in his cerulean eyes. "I'm just sad that you have the need to prove something to someone. You don't need to. To the right people, you don't need to prove a single thing. Not in this way."

"We're sorry."

"I don't want you to apologise. I want you to think properly for yourselves. Not what others want from you, expect from you or think you should and shouldn't do, but what you want and think and how you feel about it, what are the consequences... You know to part right from wrong. You're smart, kind and awesome kids. So I'm sure you can do it." He smiled at them. "And for all gods above, do not trust a Fairchild, never, ever again in your life. Those snakes will slowly poison and destroy you. I don't want to see that. And as long as I'm here, I won't let that happen."

###

"He seems like a good guy."

"Oh, he was-IS-is… I totally thought he'd yell at us for it. Later he said he'd wanted to, that's why he'd ignored us to calm down. Since then, we've never once trusted a Fairchild or spent any time with them alone. I hate them, but I'm also scared of them. They make my skin crawl in the very wrong way."

He understood that, he was surprised she'd gotten manipulated into it, but... "And your dad wanted to engage you to... Fuck that's twisted."

"Yeah… But father didn't know about this till today." She shrugged. "And Seth protected us like a hawk."

"I'm glad he did." He squeezed her tighter into a hug, concerned by the story, but glad he knew. He already liked Seth, though the man sounded tough, like a guarding but fair father tough. Something like his dad. And he totally hated the three twisted brothers. Three… "Will you tell me more about him, uh, Seth?" He asked mildly but curiously. He knew the person was very important for the twins, almost more important than Haruka. Katsunori and Hiroto had told him some things, but he wanted to know more, from Aya.

"Seth…" She stared at him for a moment, not knowing where to start or how much to tell him. "He was our guardian, he went with me to almost all of my competition, and so he was with me a bit more than with Taiga. Still, my brother loves him too. He taught him how to drive and tend to cars and all… He pulled the three of us away from many troubles." She tugged at her necklace. "He was more of a father to us than Haruka. He always had our backs. Always, no matter what. He could be strict, sometimes a little bit scary, but also kind and friendly, with his past, I just… When I think about it now, it amazes me. I'm not sure I could handle that without putting a bullet through my head."

"He lost his family, right?" He asked, remembering what Hiroto had mentioned before.

She blinked at him in surprise. "Who told you?"

"Uh… the bartender?"

"Hiroto, huh? Well, yeah," she agreed, "it was arson. Someone did it for fun. His wife, two daughters, one was eight the other was six, and a dog burnt alive in their house, while he was out on a mission. He was a soldier, special unit or something, a big shot, respected, trusted, very resourceful... And he returned to nothing; three graves and a burnt hole in the ground. The family he loved and was supposed to protect was gone. He failed in his most important job. As no one could find the arsonist, he snapped, going for his personal vendetta – I don't wanna know what he did to him or her. He barely avoided jail; he was stripped of his rank and ordered to lay low. He wouldn't have that, so he spent some time like a mercenary… He had nothing to lose after all and he hoped some bullet or mine or whatever would put him out of his misery, but he was too good to go down like that. And then something happened, which made him return home and break down with a bottle of vodka as his best friend, or whatever strong enough to make him forget."

They were silent for a moment. Daiki pulled her closer while processing the stories. He couldn't imagine that. "…how did he end up with you?" He asked, because he doubted Haruka would hire a drunkard. Or a killer, basically.

"He occupied the beach close to our house. He was a target of cruel teasing and some bullying from some rich teenage folks. We lived in an uptown neighbourhood; it was relatively safe depending on your account… No police unit ever took him away for long, despite the complaints. They turned a blind eye; some of them maybe knew him. And Gabi, she used to be a war doctor, basically a soldier too, so she treated his wounds, brought him food, and tried to talk some sense into him. Then mom found out; you couldn't hide anything from her, and she took pity on him, helping Gabi, but not telling father. They didn't know much about him then. And when mom died…"

"You took him in?"

"Not right away. Gabi started taking us to the beach, we didn't want to, but you don't say 'no' to Gabi. At the time we argued and fought a lot, and once Seth snapped at us. Something like 'Stop yapping and get over it. You're not the only ones who'd lost someone. You still have each other. Don't lose that too, you ungrateful brats.' First impression? We hated him" She chuckled. "But… a week or two after that, he had a terrible encounter with someone who tried to drown him in the ocean while he was drunk. He barely made it and that was when Gabi took him into our house for the first time. She was very strict with him. No drinking. No complaining. No whining. He had to earn his dinners and bed. She made up her mind that he was to stay. Taiga and I, we didn't like him much, but we figured we all had nightmares. Seth's nightmares though… We slowly started to get to know each other. Father probably didn't know we had him in the house for a month or two, until Kyou and Gabi proposed it'd be good if I had someone to take me to competitions and watch over us. So he was officially hired as a driver / guardian. Honestly, I can't imagine not having him around for those years. I'd probably be much different, with full marks and who knows with what kind of twisted values." The gravity of the last sentences hit her. Really, who would she-they be without him? Suddenly she felt like having a cigarette, though it was ironic given the burns they'd talked about a minute ago. And she didn't want to smoke around Daiki. Ever.

Daiki was amazed. "I want to meet him." He hummed kissing the top of her head. It scared him in a way, but he really wanted to meet the man. For a moment he wondered what stories his dad could share. If only I asked… He barely ever met the family from his father's side. He vaguely knew them, but the relationships weren't warm at all.

"If they manage to find him, you will, but I'm not sure about that. I think he can turn into a ghost if he wants." She sighed. "I miss him." Then after a minute or so of silence, she slapped her cheeks. "Gee' this got gloomy. Sorry!"

A small smile tugged at his lips. My quicksilver. "I'm the one who asked. Any other scars I might want to know about?"

"No! You've seen them all now. I hope it doesn't freak you out too much."

"You know it doesn't. We all have some scars, like souvenirs from stupid decisions or accidents." He mused.

"Oooh, do you have some then? I haven't noticed." She put her legs underneath her, kneeling on the couch as she turned to him. She really hadn't noticed any scar on Daiki; then again, she wasn't actively searching for it.

"I'm a guy you know, of course I have some." He chuckled in amusement.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you gonna tell me to search for them?"

"Hmmmm," he put a finger on his lip thinking, "now that you've mentioned it, it's a very tempting idea."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

He shrugged with a smirk. "I don't have any great stories behind them though. Just stupid accidents."

"I don't want great stories; I want your stories. And stupid accidents are fun." She launched at him hugging him around his neck and they toppled backwards on the couch.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Wanted to hug you." She mumbled into the crook of his neck.

He laughed. "Wouldn't the bed be more comfy?"

"Mmmm, not yet. So?"

"So, what?" He played dumb.

"So, any scar I should try to find later on? So I could kiss 'em all?"

Kiss 'em all… His heart made a flip. Then he realised the majority of his scars were around his ankles and feet… lame… "I hit my head a few times, so if y' look properly, three of four are in my hair. Once or twice we, Klahan and I, were slammed against rocks in the sea, so there might be some tiny scratches on my back, though I'm not sure. Then there was Klahan's great idea to try walking on burning charcoals, for which my grandma almost killed us. And a deadly demon Chihuahua in a dog shelter that decided to attack my ankles. Both of them. For good measure." He brought his abused left foot and ankle up to them. To anyone else, he'd never admit he'd been bitten by a neurotic little dog. It was embarrassing and the bite marks were barely visible anymore. But Aya was… Special. He had done his share of stupidities too. He wanted to make her think about other things than Seth. Funny things. Him. They finally had time for each other. To talk, to explore. To just be together alone. He was grateful for that.

Aya couldn't see it well, so she reached to the tall lamp behind them and turned it on. They both groaned when the sharp light abused their eyes, but they got used to it quickly. She returned to her warm spot and traced the tiny marks with her fingers, chuckling. "Can't quite imagine the bravery that dog had to bite you, of all people…"

"Of course, y' can. You've bitten me already too."

She gasped, playing offended. "Don't compare me to a Chihuahua! You biting piranha!"

It made him laugh. "Wouldn't dare to, Sweetheart… Anyways, he was more scared than brave. And I didn't pay enough attention to his warning."

"Well, if you're that small you're probably constantly scared someone might squash you, right?"

"They are rat hunters, so they're or can be quite fearless… Well, that depends what family they're in and how well trained they are. Dog shelters usually keep mistreated, abused or untrained dogs that grew over their owners' heads though." He sighed, feeling sorry for all those pure souls stuck in the small cages, waiting for someone kind to come and save them. If he could, he would've taken them all.

Aya looked at him with kind curiosity. "Do you often visit dog shelters?"

"Not so much now, no. In Teiko we had obligatory volunteering activities, to help the community somehow, so I used to spend a few hours a week in two different dog shelters, I kinda liked it. We only had Akari at the time but I knew my way around dogs, and it was fun. Then dad bought me Shiro so I used to take her to the shelter with me to socialise her and some other dogs there. She and Kurome seemed to get along greatly, so I took Kurome home without asking. Mom wasn't that happy about it, because we also had a stray cat at the time, though it ran away somewhere. After that, mom forbade us to bring home any more animals..." He huffed. Michiko made it pretty clear; she wouldn't tolerate any more animals in the house.

She laughed. Daiki's soft spot, eh?

"What?"

"I can totally imagine you suffocated by a bunch of cute fluffy puppies. Just adorable!" She grinned widely. "I can't get it out of my head now."

To her surprise, Daiki chuckled too and shook his head. They talked more about their pets, Aya showing him pictures of all the dogs her families owned, the horses, even some videos she had. Some tricks those horses knew, he'd never say a huge horse could ever learn that. And the trust and loyalty it took, especially when it saw Aya once or twice a year. Maybe horses could judge a person just like dogs. And he went to fetch his phone too, bragging about his awesome dogs and how amazing they could be. Accidentally Aya noticed some videos from his jiu-jitsu practises and he totally had to show her those, with thorough explanation. He found it hard to explain like this, but somehow, he managed. It felt so good she was asking and interested in this too.

"You can come with us to the last seminar, if you want… To watch." He offered with a slight blush. Bringing her there would be a certain declaration, he was aware. And he knew the teasing from the old men would be inevitable there, but… he wanted to look cool and show off in front of her a bit. Not just in basketball.

"I'd love to. When? Where?" She asked without hesitation. They hadn't gone on a trip unless it was a training camp. And going with Daiki and even his dad, she wanted to.

"The weekend at the end of October, in Hamamatsu."

"Okay. If your dad allows."

"He will. Will yours allow?"

She raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Sure. I'm already past asking permissions."

######

Koganei was bored out of his mind, which in itself was unusual for him. His evening shift got cancelled as his colleague showed up without previous notice and sooner than him. It was unfair, he had it assigned already, but the guy pleaded and as they'd had enough staff… He shouldn't complain about the free evening, he could take the rest, but he'd been mentally set on his schedule. Now it was messed up. No one else was at home. There were no tasks waiting for him in the house, as he was supposed to be working. No dinner either. He had to run to the convenience store to get something later on.

He fiddled with his phone, scrolling social networks. Maybe he should've asked the team to go eat out or something. But Kagami was gone right after school, ditching the practise, Mitobe had a part-time job and the others had some plans too. He opened a video shared by his sister, then next and next. And soon he was pointlessly watching talent shows. He had no idea why he ended up watching those, but it was fun.

After an hour or so, youtube was recommending him similar videos.

He blinked in surprise. The face in that one seemed familiar. Almost like Kagami. No. It couldn't be him. His sister was a dancer, not him. Or… Maybe…?

He tapped on it to watch, noting the channel belonged to someone aliased as 'pink dreads'.

When he saw it really was Kagami, his jaw hit the ground. And stayed there for the whole 3 minutes of the video.

How the hell could the huge dude do those things?! Koganei shook his head, closed his mouth and watched it again in disbelief. Did Riko know?

And there were more videos like that!

A few minutes after Koganei's discovery a new message dinged in Seirin's team chat. A link to one of the videos. He couldn't NOT share something like this! It totally made his boring evening worth it!

A sharp pain in his shin woke him up. "What…?" Daiki grunted, blinking away the sleepy haze. The kick in the shin was followed by a good hit in his chest. Now he knew… With a sigh he rolled onto his side ready to guard against any other attacks coming from his beautiful girlfriend tossing in her sleep. Aya had warned him she kicked and moved around a lot when sleeping despite the huge bed. He hadn't quite believed it, but she really did.

He glanced at a clock, it was a bit past 2 AM, and yawned, reflexively grabbing her hand before it hit his face. He wondered what she was dreaming about and guessed those weren't nightmares, because she mumbled something like 'no that tickles' with a pouty frown on her face, which was interesting as she wasn't ticklish. The expression made him laugh quietly. She'd kicked off her covers at some point and her top was rolled up, showing her stomach. Aya hated the cold and it wasn't nearly warm enough to sleep like that. Maybe she was on a quest to find the covers? It would be cute, if she wasn't hitting him in the process; and she had some strength even when asleep. He wouldn't let her continue that.

"Shhhh… It's fine." He hummed as his voice could stop her from travelling across the bed. It didn't work.

His next option… With a few efficient movements, he had her firmly in his grip, holding her tight with her back pressed against his chest; he had her feet secured and interlocked with his. He didn't want to receive any more kicks from her, because she kicked like a mule. She wiggled in his embrace, whined quietly in complaint, but soon she relaxed and calmed down, her breathing steadying again. He sighed in relief and covered them up.

Daiki'd wake up if someone as much as spoke to him, but Aya… he could apparently move her around, talk to her, restrain her and she wouldn't budge. They'd shared a room before, but not a bed. It was his first time sharing a bed with a girl since he'd been a kid. The girl he loved to top it. He hadn't been sure he'd be able to fall asleep next to her at all. He wasn't sure if he snored or drooled or talked in his sleep or not, or whatever. He was anxious about that, plus it was a new, relatively unfamiliar place, yet, to his surprise he'd fallen into deep slumber fast. He felt safe here with her and her bed was so huge and comfy; laced with scent of fabric softener and well, Aya. With a content sigh he kissed the top of her head and buried his nose in her hair, finding a place where it wouldn't tickle him. When she leaned and snuggled against him, he closed his eyes falling asleep again easily, filled with love, happiness and gratitude.

He had his treasure securely in his arms.

######

Aya had a mental alarm clock that woke her up at 4:30 AM. She was supposed to take her pill. She'd never forgotten and she'd already had a certain mechanism working; if she knew she had to wake up, she normally would, no alarm clocks necessary. And she needed to pee. Automatically she tried to sit up, but she couldn't.

Daiki was holding her firmly around her waist, his fingers encircled around her wrist and their legs tangled. Aya wasn't used to that, even though she shared the bed with Taiga sometimes, he usually didn't cling to her; only when her kicking and tossing got too much. Oh, don't tell me I've… She thought with a frown, hoping she hadn't hit Daiki in the face or worse. It wasn't exactly the best impression she would like to leave, but… she had warned him.

She sighed and relaxed against her man. It was comfortable, warm; Daiki could pass for a heater. His steady deep breathing was relaxing. The rain drizzled outside, the sound lulling her back to sleep. But she should go take the pill. Leaving out one, or being a few hours late, while she wasn't actually having sex with Daiki wouldn't be tragic. She could just forget about it… still… what if? She silently grunted in discontent.

She knew Daiki was a light sleeper. Maybe she just needed to tap him, or talk to him and he'd wake up. She was surprised he hadn't woken up already. He felt and sounded so peaceful she felt bad about it, but her bladder protested again. So with a guilty conscience, she rubbed his forearm with her free hand and stirred a bit more.

"Mmmm?" A sleepy grumble shook his chest. He wasn't fully awake yet.

"Sorry, I need to get up for a moment." She whispered apologetically. "I'll be right back."

"Mhm…" For a moment he squeezed her tighter, nuzzling against her and then he released his grip.

"Thank you." She hummed quietly and gently kissed his forehead before she climbed over his feet to get out of the bed.

It was a butterfly touch, but a small smile tugged at his lips as he rolled over to her side of the bed, so she wouldn't have to climb over him again and he needed to free the numb arm he'd been lying on.

When she returned and climbed back to the bed, she watched his peaceful sleeping expression, void of the usual frown for a moment. She felt so blissful she'd attack him with kisses and hugs right away, but she didn't want to disturb his sleep. It was rare to see him sleeping so soundly. Though she couldn't resist and gave him another sweet kiss on the forehead.

Then she squealed in surprise when his strong arms wrapped around her waist pulled her close, resting his forehead in the crook of her neck and kissing her chest.

"You're awake." She accused him.

"Mmm, missed the warmth." He hummed, his breath tickling her skin. She smelled so good, like her with a faint scent of apricots.

She chuckled and hugged him back, diving her fingers into his hair and gently massaging his scalp. She hooked her leg over his hip, and pulled as close as she could. As she did so, his palm travelled up her thigh, under her top and rested on her shoulder blade, drawing lazy, comfortable circles on her skin. She could get used to this.

"Did I toss too much?"

"A bit," he drawled, plating another kiss on her chest, "have you ever rolled out of the bed?"

She could feel that teasing smirk against her skin. "Oh," she laughed quietly, "just about a thousand times…" He chuckled in disbelief. Right, her bed was probably too big for a normal person to roll out of. "I meant it," she insisted, "but now you have me anchored."

"Mhm." He hummed in agreement, his breathing deepening again. He was drifting back to sleep. Normally he'd be getting up to go out with the dogs, but now he didn't have to. He was all for enjoying a lazy morning next to Aya, knowing he could sleep some more, with his face buried in her chest without any guilty or embarrassing conscience as a bonus. He could feel her steady strong heartbeat and calm deep breathing.

She would soon fall asleep as well.

In about three hours, Daiki woke up again. With a morning wood. Fuck. He cursed. It occurred almost daily, he wasn't sure why he thought it wouldn't today, especially with Aya in his arms. And her leg was still draped over his hip. Maybe she wouldn't wake up if he crawled out, or it should go away in a few minutes anyways if he waited. He stirred to be a bit further from her but she moved too and unintentionally he brushed against her. Nope, it didn't help it go away. He prayed she wouldn't wake up, because… what would she think? That he was a pervert, probably. She ain't like that. He argued inwardly. Still, he was very self conscious. He knew he shouldn't be, not after the heavy make-out session. Don't think about that…

To his despair, Aya stirred too, yawning.

She blinked and pulled closer to Daiki contently. For a second she froze, feeling his erection. And that he was hard. Whoa… Good morning to you too. She wanted to tease, but it didn't sound appropriate in her head. Plus, she wasn't sure if he was awake or not as his face was still buried in her chest. Then again, he was way too tense for a sleeping person. He had to be awake. Oh, what the hell… She released him from her embrace rubbing her eyes and stretching her back, but her hips pressed closer against his crotch.

"Morning." She hummed, with a smile.

He rubbed his face and stretched too, with the idea to get some space but her leg on his hip didn't allow him to pull away. It wasn't helping him to calm down. Did that mean she didn't mind?

"Uh… Mornin' and," still… with a shameful blush and unable to meet her eyes he grumbled a weak, "sorry for that…"

"What exactly?" She raised her eyebrow. "Don't you all healthy guys get that… almost every morning?"

He opened his mouth, and then closed it with a lack of arguments. "Uuhm… Still…" He glanced at her, stopping for a second to ponder what magic she used to look so good right after waking up. "Tch, it's kinda mortifying if it just pops up like this." He admitted.

She chuckled at that. "No, it's not. You're in the bed with me. There's nothing mortifying about it… Wait, you thought I'd freak out?" Blushing Daiki was cute.

"Dunno," he shrugged, "possibly?"

I do share a bed with Taiga sometimes; that used to get mortifying. With the capital M. She thought, but the twins were past it, barely taking notice anymore. And she didn't need to freak Daiki out by telling him that. He didn't need to know everything. "Uh, no. I don't freak out over this."

Besides, feeling Daiki's boner was not uncomfortable. Maybe it hadn't been intended, but… It was kind of turning her on. "So…"

He blinked at her. She was looking at him as if asking 'what do you want to do with it?'. His initial embarrassment melted away and a daring smirk appeared on his face. "So?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. He wasn't trying to pull away from her anymore, on the contrary.

She loved this smirk and those deep stormy eyes eating her up. "So, are we gonna waste it or not?" She tilted her head to a side in question.

Damn, he loved this woman. He'd never expected a steamy morning. (He'd had no idea what to expect – maybe cuddles – but this was a very pleasurable surprise.) He licked his lips, wanting to lean over and kiss her right away, but he had the foul morning taste in his mouth. She probably wouldn't appreciate that. "… I haven't brushed my teeth." He blurted out instead of an answer.

She laughed heartily at that. "Neither have I." And she didn't feel like leaving the bed anytime soon, but the morning breath wasn't exactly a turn on. Oh… She reached backwards, her spine doing an impossible bend so she'd reach her night table and the bowl with remnants of the yesterday's gummy bears, all the while keeping her lower half of the body pressed against him. "It's not a mint, but… gummy?" She offered him a bowl. "Or we can still get up and brush our teeth," she glanced at their joined hips, "though that'd probably be a waste."

That coy look she was giving him. "And we wouldn't want that." He teased and scooped up a half of the gummies. As he ate them he kept staring at her.

"No we wouldn't." She grinned, gobbling up the rest of the sweets, while grinding against his groin. How eating gummies turned hot…

~~~~~Lemons~~~~~

Daiki barely let her gulp down the gummies, when he claimed her lips. Hungrily, passionately, a bit impatiently too. Any protests she might've had were muffled and she chuckled against his lips. He tasted like gummy bears, smelled like soap, sleep and him. She still couldn't identify that specific scent she loved so much. It was like a sunny day on a beach, maybe? She wasn't sure. She brought her palms up his shoulder and chest and dove her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer if it was even possible. She wanted to melt into him.

A soft moan escaped her when he traced her jaw and neck with his lips, his hands running under her top and up her back. He cupped her breast, rubbing and teasing her nipple until it got really hard and switched to the other, paying it just as much attention. He loved the soft sounds she was making in return. He swallowed another sigh of pleasure as their tongues tangled in the familiar dance. Their kisses felt like home. Accepting, inviting, and reciprocating. She was touching and caressing him wherever she could get, but lying on a side restricted her a lot.

He trailed his palm back down to her hip and along her leg. He grabbed her thigh pulling it higher as his hips rolled against hers. The warmth when he pressed against her felt so damn good, but he wanted to feel more of it. He groaned into her mouth and pushed her back, changing their position. He was probably rushing too much, though it didn't seem she minded as she responded to his movement without complaint...

She complied, and used the moment he was above her to get rid of his t-shirt.

"Much better." She hummed and grinned, noting how he glanced at her top. Her hands trailed his muscles, brushing along his nipples which made him growl softly. But before he could lean down to kiss her again; she pushed both her hands against his chest. He had a big weight advantage after all.

"W-what?" He asked, looking at her and trying not to pant. Once again they flew at it without much discussion.

"Can I be on top?" Her eyes were shining with desire. A slight blush coloured her cheeks. "I want to feel you better."

He mirrored her blush and he licked his lips. The idea of Aya straddling him in her bed... A grin tugged at his lips as he nodded. "Go ahead."

He let her roll them around, helped her even, happy for the numerous pillows under his back. He made her top follow after his t-shirt almost immediately. She had no bra, so there was no additional struggle for him. And then she straddled him, looking right into his eyes as she slowly lowered herself to grind against his boner. Wonderful. It offered him the finest view with both hands free to roam and touch her. Yet the feeling of her pressing down on him made him close his eyes and growl. It was different from a moment ago, he felt it stronger and he liked it better.

Then she leaned forward to kiss him, changing the pressure and angle again. Her breasts rubbed against his bare chest in a completely new sensation. She kissed his collarbones, biting and sucking gently, most likely leaving a mark, and then trailing up to his lips. He let his hands wander around her back, sides, hips, play with her hair… Obviously, she was appreciating his touches. Those soft sighs and moans of hers were priceless.

Aya welcomed the control this time, and through the thin shorts she could feel him much better than the last time she'd worn jeans. She wouldn't mind more exploring at a slower pace, but Daiki was a bit impatient this time. He ground against her, his finger dug into her hips. "Oooh, y-yes, hold me like that."

"It doesn't hurt?" He asked; his grip could get a bit too strong without him realising after all.

"No. I'll tell you if it does." She kissed him behind the ear and straightened up.

Ah, the view was back. He loved it. She wasn't shy about being seen by him in the daylight. Her boobs looked amazing from his position, and the flood of her hair loosely cascading down to her waist… He wanted to touch it, tangle his fingers in the red and black curtain. Instead, he bent his knees slightly to offer her support if she wanted, but not too much to ruin the connection. She moved around a little, finding the best angle for her. When they both moaned at one particular movement…

"This?"

"Y-yeah." He agreed breathlessly.

Watching his woman doing what she liked, what she wanted, while allowing him to see. That alone would probably be enough to tip him over. And then she started moving; rocking her hips back and forth rubbing against him, hesitantly at first but she soon found a rhythm. He growled deeply at the sensation she was giving him and she echoed him. His hips instinctually responded to hers.

And once they discovered a rhythm working for both of them… It became a very passionate chase to reach orgasm and provide one. Aya wasn't a screamer, but he could tell she was getting close; her moans were somewhat more intense, sweeter to his ears. She was moving faster, pressing down a bit harder. She leaned forward a bit, using his chest for support. He wasn't far from coming himself. He gripped at her thighs, then hips; he'd go for boobs but he didn't dare test that now when he was so close to coming.

"Aya–" He breathed out through the pants and growls.

"D-daiki, I-I…" She said at the same time, but a moan cut off her words.

She tensed, closing her eyes and tilting her head backwards. Her thighs clenched firmly around him, yet somehow leaving him space to move a bit more. He could feel her pulsing against him. That brought him over the edge. With a few more strokes and a deep growl he joined her. His eyes closed in bliss too. It felt more intense than before, maybe because they almost came together, maybe because of the position, he had no idea and he was not in the state to dissect it. Yet.

~~~~~End of lemons~~~~~

When Aya returned to earth she lied down on his chest and kissed his jaw. His arms wrapped around her with a content sigh. She smiled. Morning workout, check. She stayed like that for a while, just enjoying his hot skin, scent and general closeness, until she caught her breath. Then she rolled off him; her knees felt like jelly. This had been intense.

"Hey, don't take my warmth." He protested and pulled her close, but she turned around, so he had her back pressed against his chest. Still better than the cold.

She chuckled, covering his arm with hers and intertwining their fingers. "Thought I was getting heavy."

"Never." He breathed out and kissed the nape of her neck. She shivered and he wasn't sure if it was from pleasure or the opposite. "Was that okay, or…?" He needed to know.

"Welcomed and enjoyed." She said with a smile he could hear. "Like you just said 'Hello, I love you' directly to my nervous system."

"Well, I do, so good it knows now." He joked and kissed her there again, enjoying the newly discovered weak spot. Then he stopped teasing her and sighed. "Uh,"

"What is it?" She asked curiously and tried to turn, but he didn't allow her to.

"You came this time." He knew she did, but it still sounded like half-question. "What was different?" He asked. It was easier to talk about it while she didn't have to face those burning red eyes, though he had a feeling she'd force her way around to look at him soon anyways.

She breathed out in relief. "Uuuuhm… I came yes, and I loved it, I s'pose you could tell that. What was different… I'm wearing one layer of thin shorts not jeans. I had better control. It wasn't the first time. That I guess."

"So doing this works for you too."

"Yes, it does. I probably take a bit longer, but it works for me." Then she chuckled and really turned onto her back glancing at him.

"What?"

"Mmmm, I'm just glad we can talk about this and you started, because I wasn't sure… well… I didn't want to freak you out by being way too open about it for general standards here."

"Oh… Well… I don't think you can freak me out, Sweetheart."

She shook her head, grinning, "I could think of a way or two…" Then she stopped, if they got to teasing, they'd avoid the topic again. And it was quite hard to have the right atmosphere. They either did stuff, or enjoyed the post-bliss… "You didn't mind me on top? I was a bit selfish about it today…"

His eyebrow arched up. "Selfish? Y' kidding? Giving me that view the first thing in the morning… Can't quite imagine anything better. Maybe if you didn't have the shorts, or me, or both… and…" He had a slight blush, but he was going to be truthful. "Uhm, would it have been okay if I played with your boobs. I just love them."

Yep, he was a boob person after all. "First, we can try that later if you want; I don't mind the clothes on for now but we should probably get some lube for future, so it won't turn painful for either of us at some point. Second, it's welcomed. Though, you'd have to be gentler than with my hips."

"…I did grip you too firmly."

"No, silly." She ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead. "I like when you grip me firmly, I wouldn't mind you pulling my hair a bit too, but boobs are just way more sensitive."

"Pull your hair?"

"Mhm," she shrugged. "Not strong enough to pull it out it, of course, but I love when someone plays with my hair.

"Like this?" He dove his fingers into her hair, scratching her scalp a bit. She closed her eyes in bliss, making a sound almost like purring. He chuckled at it and then he closed his fingers into fist, trying to judge what was okay and what was too much. Hoping she'd tell him clearly and he'd remember.

She moaned softly, it was perfect. "Yeah, just like this." She opened her eyes to look at him, and he had to lean down and kiss her; if he hadn't just come, he'd probably be getting hard again. "Ne…?" She peeped, licking her lips.

"Yeah?"

"Do you like when I touch your nipples or not? It seems that yes, but… I didn't want to push my luck."

He blushed at that. In fact he did like it, but it was something a girl should enjoy so… "Uuum… I don't really know?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Tch, it's girly."

She sighed. Thought so… "Considered girly, while it's not. Well, I won't push it, though you don't mind me brushing along like this?" She ran her hand from his shoulder down to his Adonis's belt, touching his nipple in the process.

He shuddered slightly, not pulling away. It felt good, strangely pleasurable. He really couldn't decide if it was okay or not, but it certainly didn't turn him off. "I don't mind. Maybe…"

"Not forcing you, but whenever you feel adventurous, I'm here…" She smiled when he nodded in agreement. Talking about this was arousing on its own level, though she wondered if he didn't want to take a shower. She definitely did, but she felt too comfy to leave the bed yet. And the conversation was definitely more interesting. "What else would you want me to do?"

He blinked at her. "I'm not really sure…" He admitted; he'd had no previous experience, so he didn't quite know what would feel totally amazing and what not so much. He didn't feel like it was an issue with Aya. She was curious, asking him and she made it almost casual. She wanted to know more about him and she wasn't shy to go exploring his body. To make him feel good. "But…" he had certain ideas in his head now. "Would you… uuum… suck, uh no… tch…" He didn't want to sound rude, but he couldn't find the mild terms for it right now.

"Go down on you?" She supplied with a coy smile.

"Yeah, that…" He grumbled, looking somewhere over her head, partly wishing to disappear, but too curious about the answer.

"Uhm… sure. If you want to, I don't mind trying it with you too." She cringed at her gaffe immediately.

"You've done it before, with Himuro?" Honestly, if she hadn't made that face he probably wouldn't have realised. Though she didn't sound overly excited about the idea, so he probably would've asked either way.

Me and my loose tongue… She glanced at him; this really wasn't a topic she'd like to discuss with Daiki. She didn't think he'd appreciate it. "Couple of times, yeah."

"And?"

"You wanna go there?"

He shrugged, tugging at her necklace. "Not really, but you don't sound too excited about it. Was it bad?" Part of him was relieved she knew what she was doing, part or him was terribly jealous and part of him was insatiably curious. He'd never felt like this before.

She blushed and bit her lip. "Quite an argument causing disaster the first time or so… Then it got better. So I'm fine with it now, but I kinda had to pester Kouta and Ray for advice, which I'm totally mortified about to this day." She hid her face in her hands. "Kouta doesn't tease me, but sometimes he has that look... And Ray would tease me any time we were alone and he got the chance. I still don't know what made me ask him of all people; he is a perfect dancer and dancing partner, maybe a friend too, but fuck I hated that guy sometimes."

He filtered out the third guy he didn't know much about – that was for another discussion – and asked: "What happened?" The look she gave him screamed 'please don't ask', but he wanted to know. No, he needed to know if he didn't want her to hate it, though he had no idea if he'd like it. He sighed and scratched the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed too. "You don't have to tell me, I just… I've never had a girl going down on me or anything, and I don't want to make you… hate it?"

"Right, sure… sorry." This time, Daiki was right. She knew he wouldn't demand anything if he felt she wasn't into it. "Uuuhm… It was the first time, so I was obviously stressed about it and overthinking it and he didn't warn me before coming. It freaked me out, so I kinda choked and gagged at his… well, at the same time." She shuddered. "Not something I'd like to repeat."

He cringed at that. "Anything else I shouldn't do?"

"Don't shove it in forcefully, or push my head down on you." She looked at him seriously. "You know what I mean, just please don't do that even if you're tempted to. You can touch my head, scratch my scalp, play with my hair; I like that. But don't force anything. I can't switch off the gag reflex and you probably don't want me to throw up on you."

"Did he do that to you?"

"Thankfully, no. Well, almost, but I stopped him before he could. Some sixth sense kicked in." She shrugged, not making a big deal out of it. "No hard feelings there. It was totally awkward and embarrassing at times, but we just didn't know better. I could be insensitive too. Now I know it's always better to ask or be gentler at first and see the reaction." She felt much better with Daiki on this front, more relaxed, more natural. She couldn't really explain it, but their chemistry worked much better. "Oh, but certainly do let me know when we get to it, even during it, what you want me to do or what feels better and what not so much. I still haven't learnt to read your mind and it'll take some time until I learn how exactly your body works, okay?"

Daiki nodded. "Even if it kills the mood?"

"If we're not rude about it… which we're not… that was a stupid thought." She shook her head to get back on track. "Even if it kills the mood or slows things down a bit, we can recreate it quite fast, I believe." She smiled kindly.

And he knew she was done with this topic. "Could I have another little demand?"

"Try me."

He tugged at the necklace again. "Would you take it off the next time we do stuff?"

She blinked at him. "Oh, do you mind it?"

"I can get over it, but… I don't quite like those two popping up in my head while… you know…"

"You should've told me right away! Damn, I totally didn't think about it from your point of view."

He grinned. "Figures."

She shook her head with a chuckle and reached behind her neck to undo the clasp. "I'm sooo used to wearing it; I don't even feel it much."

"Y' can wear it, but once in a while…"

"I could put it aside. Got that." She nodded, placing the chain on her night table.

"Any demands you have?"

"I like dry humping; though I might not always come from it, but we can experiment a bit with that. I don't mind letting you try what you want to figure out what works the best. And honestly, I wouldn't mind you going down on me either, if you're okay with the idea." It was a half-question.

"Pretty much." He wanted to go explore her magical parts a lot more than he'd done so far.

"I love you."

He kissed her. "Sure you do."

"Sure I do." She chuckled against his lips. "Anything else we should talk about?"

"Uhm… condoms?" He finally forced himself to bring it up. "Once we get there…"

"Oh, right. I guess it'd be good. I mean, I'm on the pill, so it's not necessary, but better safe than sorry."

"You're on the pill?"

"Yeah, with regular check-ups for… two or three years now? I used to have problematic periods and I believe Haruka pushed Gabi to have me on the pill as soon as it was possible, in case… Well… I'm trying to ignore that."

"Lovely father." He muttered under his nose. "So condoms… and the pill…" He nodded.

"Just have some at your place, if and when we get to the point… I have some here, so you don't have to worry about it." She grinned at how wide his eyes went. "I've thought about it already too. Besides, it's not just your responsibility. And it was also Kouta's parting gift when I was leaving the training camp."

Daiki blushed and grumbled some curses at the dreadlocks' guy. But she pulled him down for a kiss, drowning his incoherent swears, half of which she couldn't understand and guessed she was hearing Thai. She was coming to love that language though she didn't get a word.

"Well, there's a lot to explore and keep us occupied I guess." She hummed against his lips.

"Good I'm staying one more night." He smirked, forgetting about Kouta. Talking somewhat boosted his confidence and he was reassured once again, that he could talk with her about anything and it was fine. He wasn't hard again yet, but he was properly fired up for next explorations; after he'd take a shower, because his dirty shorts felt disgusting. Or shower with her…? Watching her, and being watched… his imagination was starting to spiral out of control.

"Very good." She smiled softly, tracing her fingertip over the hickey she left on him.

"Hm?" He looked down at it and grinned proudly. "Marking your territory, Love?" He teased.

Not 'Sweetheart'? An upgrade? She made and offended face, but with suppressed laughter shaking her ribcage it was hardly believable. "Aren't you too?" She pointed at her chest.

He opened his mouth to shoot back, when his phone buzzed, interrupting them. He leaned over her to see who it was, but he already knew. Satsuki. "Tch."

He lifted his phone and picked up, not greeting her, just listening to what she needed. And that she talked for some time, though Aya couldn't hear it clearly. She glanced at the clock and guessed what the problem was. "The matches… Shit, we're already late." Well, it hadn't started yet, but if they wanted to take a shower, eat something and get there…

Then Daiki frowned. "Not comin', Satsuki." He grumbled and hung up.

"Daiki!" Aya scolded him with one accusatory look. "We promised."

"Tch. I don't wanna go. It's boring, it's raining outside, and I want to be with you. Here." He stared into her eyes determinedly. "Tell me, do you really wanna go watch the bunch of–" he stopped before calling them losers, "anyway… it will drizzle the whole day."

She sighed, biting her lip. No, she didn't feel like going outside in the rain. Today was the rainy day she wanted to stay inside and cuddle. She had Daiki here. And hot chocolate. And ton of movies. And prospect make-out(s)… "But, I promised Katsu…"

I win this one, Sweetheart. "Do you doubt Satsuki's skills?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. "No, I don't want to leave her alone."

"There are other guys going. Imayoshi and Tada for sure…"

"I promised Katsu."

"Will he really mind if you skip it?"

"…"

"We'll go tomorrow." He promised. "It shouldn't rain."

"I'm going out with Kiku in the afternoon."

"Matches won't take longer than 4PM."

"You're terrible."

"I know." He grinned. "So?"

"Gimme that." She growled and snatched his phone to call Satsuki, and apologise for his rudeness. A pattern password stopped her. When he laughed at her she glared at him.

"Up, left and cross into the middle." He showed her, his chest still shaking.

"Thanks." She muttered through her teeth, taking a note to give him access into her phones too, in case of need. She dialled Satsuki.

"What?" The pinkette barked, offended.

"Satsuki? It's me."

"Aya-chan? Oh, sorry–"

"I'm sorry, for the rudeness." She cut her. "Uhm…"

"Are you really not coming?"

"Sorry?" Aya peeped. She had a hard time fighting her responsibility. And that the responsible part of her was waging a war against the I-want-to-chill-and-relax-with-my-man part. "It's… I… Tch, I want to be with Daiki alone, at home." She blurted out honestly. To her surprise, Satsuki giggled with her bubbly voice at the other end.

"Oh, he's twisting you around his finger. I already know him." The pinkette teased; she could hear the struggle in Aya's voice. "No biggie, I've been kind of expecting it the moment I've heard he'd be staying over. Though thanks for calling me back."

"Is it really okay with you?"

"You owe me a girls' day and a cake." She laughed.

"You shall have that, miss."

"Will you join me tomorrow?"

"Promise."

"Good then. See you tomorrow. And," she giggled again, "enjoy yourselves." Satsuki hung up.

Aya chuckled and shook her head. "If she goes with the guys… Be ready for the teasing."

"Tch… I'll come to practise on Tuesday then."

"Well, thank you!"

He laughed and crawled out of her bed. "Shower, Love?" He asked and offered her his hand. He wouldn't have her pouty because of the matches for longer than those few minutes.

Her eyebrow shot up; he was too adorable for her to be angry at him. "Together?"

"Why not? It's humongous."

She sighed and mirrored his grin, taking his hand. Quicksilver. "If you're sure about it, darlin'."

"Darlin', now? Oh, yeah. Definitely together." He pulled her towards him and scooped her up bridal-style, which made her squeal in surprise. He laughed and marched towards the bathroom.

######

"Where'd you leave Aya-chan?" Imayoshi asked the moment Satsuki found their little group, consisting of him, Susa, Tada, Wakamatsu, Yori, Sakurai and the first years' little gang. He had no expectations Aomine would show up during the weekend, but Aya…

Everyone else greeted her first.

"Good morning to you too, Imayoshi-taichou." Satsuki smiled a bit coldly at him, but when she looked at the others some warmth seeped into it.

"Oh, please excuse my rudeness." Imayoshi said formally. "Good morning, of course."

"Thought you had better manners, captain!" Susa teased him.

"Shut up." He hissed. "So where's our torturer?"

"Home. She has other matters to attend to."

A light bulb went off above his head and he smirked. "Like Aomine-kun's primal needs?"

That made Satsuki and a few others blush deeply. Go to hell, Imayoshi. She thought, biting her tongue. She didn't want to expose the couple like this. "I haven't got a slightest idea."

"Hmmm…" The captain looked at the guys present. "Bets?"

Satsuki rolled her eyes. Guys.

######

"Found it!" Taiga called out victoriously, holding the key to the box in his hand.

"Good, now get out. We need to move. Those clouds don't look nice, and I don't want to be stuck here in the storm." Haruka prompted him. "The place is creepy enough." He muttered.

"Yeah, yeah, good you're being nice about it." Taiga grumbled under his breath as he was climbing out of the narrow space in the pitch black corner of a cave. Aya'd fit here better. The thought of getting stuck was always in the back of his mind, but he suppressed it.

The whole cave had a weird menacing aura that was giving him goosebumps. It was buried in a hill in the deep forest. The entrance was covered, half hidden behind old twisted roots and it wasn't bigger than a windscreen. A huge animal could squeeze its way inside easily though. Inside was pitch-dark, where he couldn't see his fingers in front of his nose. It smelled from wet soil, rotting wood, mushrooms – he didn't want to see them or discover them – and something sweet which he rather didn't want to know. But it was almost as big as his room. While he had to crawl inside, once there, he could easily stand in his full height without hitting his head. He'd never dared venturing inside before, Aya had though, once. But they hadn't stayed at this place more than twenty minutes. So he had an idea how it looked. The back wall was solid rock with a big fissure with protrusions on each side. It seemed to snake far into the depths of the hill. Taiga'd tried not to think about it when he squeezed inside groping around to find something unusual and out of place. Was the hill full of hidden caves? Could they fall through some strange earth opening if not careful enough one day? He didn't want to know.

The daylight made Taiga's eyes hurt when he got out and he had to shield them, though it was cloudy. He glanced at the dark clouds pressing down on them. "It should've been sunny."

"Urgh." Haruka made a face. His son was covered in mud and dirt; there was some slime on his jeans too.

"Well, sorry! What did you expect? Glitter?" Taiga threw his hands up frowning.

"We should really head back." Derek looked at them. He didn't like this place. The trees growing here were old, twisted and deformed, growing thickly. Even if it was noon, it felt like evening and not just because of the stormy clouds. The dogs were restless, looking around, but not running out of sight, which they didn't have a problem with a mile back. "Some places should be left alone."

Taiga shuddered, feeling like something was watching them. How the hell could grandpa come here alone? I'm paranoid. This place messes your head. "Yeah. Let's get the hell outta here."

######

Daiki kissed the nape of her neck. His hand slipped down her stomach towards her woman parts. Doing things to her while spooning seemed like a good idea. He'd love to try it.

Aya grabbed his wrist. "No. You made me come four times, if I omit the morning, I'm done for today."

"You sure? I've come five times without the morning, you know."

She raised her eyebrow. "Oh, I wouldn't know!"

"Tch."

"Want me to tease you more?"

"Okay, you win. No more. Tch." He had no idea how they'd gotten to it so many times. Well, his morning wood started it, the conversation enforced it, then the shower… and then… Oh gods, and what she could do with her mouth to him… He couldn't imagine anyone else bold and daring enough to do all that in one day with him. Along with cooking and watching movies and chilling around. He was mesmerised.

She laughed. "Good. You can keep this victory, ace." She leaned into his chest enjoying the warmth.

"Better than watching the matches, wouldn't you agree?" He hummed, kissing her shoulder. He could still taste her on his tongue, and he didn't mind it in the slightest. Damn, he loved getting hot n' heavy with her. She was just the right combination of daring, loving and beautiful. And she was listening to him.

"Thousand times better." She licked her lips dreamily. Her eyelids were heavy, though it wasn't that late yet.

Had she ever been this exhausted and satisfied from making out? Daiki was just freakin' natural when it came to sex. Well, not exactly sex, but… he could just drive her crazy and desire even more than she'd thought she'd want. She'd found a guy who, after getting comfortable, was just the right mixture of rough, gentle, attentive and bold. Something, she never knew she needed to balance her out, resonate with her and satisfy her until this weekend.

"Glad to hear that, Love." He said tenderly against her soft skin, with a kind smile. If he could be more in love than before, he was.

The rush of emotions at that soft voice almost made her cry in happiness. She blinked and kissed the inside of his palm. "Thank you." She breathed out with her throat tight, but she needed to get it out.

The day was emotionally and physically taxing for Daiki too. He blinked a few times too, he was getting strange. But his gem and treasure was right in his arms. The world couldn't have been nicer. "I thank you."

She closed her eyes and sighed contently. "Are you as tired as me?"

"More than you." He joked.

"Really?"

"Mhm…"

"We still need to change the sheets."

"Really?"

"Do you want to sleep in our dried juices?"

"We guys can be dirty like that."

"Seriously?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Urgh. Let's get it done then." He grunted as they rolled out of the bed lazily.

"I wonder what face Haruka will make when my sheets are drying in the living room when he comes home… Better yet… Taiga… Ooooh, I have to see that one…"

Daiki's brows went up. "You have the drier, you know."

"Nah… I want to see their faces."

"Want me to stay to greet them?" He grinned savagely.

She made a terrified face. "I don't want you to die."

"Oh, how nice of you." He commented while helping her pull off the drenched and disgusting sheets. Now when he looked at it… No, he didn't want to sleep in it.

"We're really going for the matches tomorrow?"

"I am. You don't have to, but I'd recommend you to vacant the place before the rest of the crew returns home. Or they'll strangle you."

"So you're planning to be out the whole day?"

"I'm going over to Kiku's. Meeting her parents the first time. Ugh, I'm more nervous than when I went to meet yours."

"Hah?"

"I'm a bad influence on her…"

"Bad? She's less scaredy around you, that's not bad."

"And then she asked me what comes after holding hands and kissing…"

He almost choked on his own spit. "Oh, spare me. I don't want to imagine the bum dirtying that shy little thing."

"So you are protective of Kiku too!"

"Am not! She's just… Damn, woman! You know me too well."

Aya burst out laughing and threw him fresh sheets. "Oh, Darling, you're adorable."

"Don't call me adorable!" He blushed furiously. But Darling… he liked it better than Honey-bun.

"Wouldn't dare."

"Okay. I reconsidered. You are a bad influence on the girl." His lips were twitching in suppressed grin. "But that might just turn out well for her."

"I hope. Any advice?"

"Oooooh, don't get me involved."

"I'm not, I'm just… Americanised. Probably too much. I think anyone else other than you would freak out and run."

He sighed heavily stuffing the pillow into the fresh cover as if it'd punched him in the face before. "He'll be freaked out if she starts talking about sex and such on her own. Then again, if she won't say a thing she might end up enduring something she doesn't like… It's not common to discuss sex and preferences, even with the partner."

"Fuck… So you're an exception."

"More or less. Dad repeated to me to talk with you… So… She has scars too, no?"

"A lot, yes. But she showed it to him before they started dating."

"Really?"

"Well… Kiku wanted him to know. To avoid the kind of situation when they'd get further and he'll be disgusted and freaked out of his mind when he'd discover it on his own. I totally get her choice. If you're disgusted, leave while I'm not too attached."

Daiki smiled kindly at her. "I get that too. But he stayed."

"He did. So…"

"None of them dated before?"

"Nope."

"That's gonna be embarrassing."

"Yeah. But if they do talk, it should be fine. I'm just worried. Kiku has a very conservative family. And she doesn't even know what an orgasm feels like."

He stared at her seriously. "Don't cheat on me with the girl."

"What?! Daiki! Dammit!" She threw the pillow she was holding at him. "You're unbelievable!"

He cackled in delight. Oh, he loved teasing her.

"How was your weekend? Enjoyed yourselves?" Imayoshi asked Aya and Daiki when they joined the group to be split into smaller units to go watch the matches.

The couple didn't even blush. They made perfectly blank, innocent expressions. "Huh?" They both raised eyebrows almost in unison.

"What are you talking about?" Aya asked, pretending to be clueless.

The two played it so well, that they made Imayoshi uncertain. The captain hated that. "Didn't Aomine stay the night at your place?"

"Not that I know of, captain." She shrugged and smirked. "Aren't you assuming too much?"

Imayoshi narrowed his eyes at the couple. It was fishy. Too fishy. They were definitely pulling his leg. "Go to hell." He muttered under his breath and cleared his throat to divide them into four groups. Of course, he split Aya and Daiki, just for his own satisfaction.

"Didn't he stay the night, though?" Kiku peeped as Aya and she followed behind the group. The little girl could feel something had shifted between the two; that their bond had gotten stronger, calmer, steadier.

"Of course he did." Aya grinned. "We were pulling Imayoshi's leg. We couldn't resist a chance like this."

Kiku blushed. "Oooh… uhm… was it g-g-good?" She bit her tongue at the stutter, but she was too flustered, especially when Aya was coming over to her place later on.

The redhead sighed lovingly. "Beyond perfect."

######

"I hope you were nice to Aya-chan." Satsuki jabbed his ribs when they followed Wakamatsu and Tada.

Urgh, Daiki'd swear Imayoshi had done that to him on purpose. But whatever, that uncertain expression on the captain's face was 100% worth it. He rolled his eyes. "I ain't a savage caveman, Satsuki."

"Ain't you? Really?!" Wakamatsu provoked, overhearing them. Aomine just rubbed him the wrong way. The arrogant, never-practising-for-real-ace, who could get away with anything. And he was still hundred times better than everyone else on the team. The fact was leaving a bad taste in Wakamatsu's mouth. Of course they were pulling Imayoshi's leg. What does she see in this guy anyways?

"Me?" Instead of getting into fighting mode, Daiki glanced at the blonde lazily. "I wonder how you are gonna satisfy your woman." He drawled, knowing exactly where to strike, but he hated the fact he only knew thanks to Aya. He should start paying more attention to his surroundings and dynamics of the team.

Wakamatsu spun on his heel, red in the face from embarrassment and anger, ready to punch Aomine in the face. But Tada's grip and that provoking, yet very dangerous, glint in Aomine's eyes daring him to strike stopped him. They were in the matches, active players. There were penalties for causing a scene and fighting publicly.

"Keh, what do you know?" Wakamatsu growled. But it did bother him. Especially when he had no one to turn to for advice; Tada had turned him down that he was gay and had no clue what to do with a woman, he didn't dare ask his dad or anyone else in the team, definitely not some girl. "Tch."

Aomine raised an eyebrow at the unusual reaction. A corner of his lips twisted upwards. Picking at his ear, he sighed, playing total boredom. "Just talk with the girl, dude. No one else can give you better insight."

"What?!"

He shrugged. "If y' can't, don't go hot n' heavy."

"Dickhead."

"You're welcome, Bakamatsu." Aomine yawned, glancing at Satsuki's huge curious eyes.

'What was that?' She mouthed. She was baffled, the relationship between the two was colder than winter in Antarctic.

'Me feeling generous.'

Even Tada glanced at the ace with a subtle grin. Who knew, the ace was changing for the better. Though his best friend couldn't see that.

######

"Am I supposed to do something special?" Aya asked Kiku with her voice tight as they were approaching their traditional house. "I have a gift and all, but..."

Kiku's eyes almost fell out. "Are you stressed about meeting my parents?"

"So what? I feel responsible for you in a way. It freaks me out meeting the parents. What if they don't like me?"

"Do you hear yourself?"

"Oh, shut it."

"Yes, mom. Whatever you say, mom."

The redhead raised an eyebrow and both girls burst out laughing in the middle of the street, some people giving them disapproving looks.

"They are a bit strict, but they don't bite."

"You sure? I'm the devil tarnishing little maidens."

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny." Kiku rolled her eyes, but blushed. "I have no one else to ask. I'll gladly give my soul to a devil like you."

"Careful what you wish for, dear."

"You're silly."

"We can't always be serious." Aya smiled; the teasing dissolved the majority of the knot of nerves in her stomach.

The meeting with Kiku's parents went better than she'd expected. Kiku's mom, Sora, was a very sweet and attentive woman with dimples in her cheeks when she smiled. It was obvious she loved Kiku very much. Taiki, the father, looked strict, a bit scary. Almost like he wore a samurai mask, ready to spring into fight anytime. To protect his daughter. Aya wondered if Kiku realised it, because it was obvious the girl was wary around her dad and the relationship was stiff. Not as bad as Aya had with Haruka, but still… Taiki wasn't someone Kiku would run to with her problems.

After the initial small talk, the girls retreated to Kiku's room with cups of steaming tea and homemade cookies.

"You passed the examination." Kiku teased.

"Oh, did I?"

"Trust me, they like you."

Aya sighed in relief. "I was trying to behave the best I could."

"I could tell."

Aya looked around the comfy room, bigger than hers, filled with books and bows. Books and homework was spread on Kiku's table. Half finished arrow shafts were stocked in the basket in the corner. "Wow… You really are an archer."

Kiku was smiling as she observed the awe in redhead's eyes. It was nice to be recognised and appreciated. "Yep."

"You'll have to teach me a bit."

"At your service, but…"

"But…" Aya looked back at her and sat on Kiku's bed. She made herself comfy, crossing her legs and munching on a cookie. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"Basics first. You know about the birds and the bees right?"

Kiku rolled her eyes. "I did have biology just like you."

The redhead chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Other than that? Sex ed, something?"

"Uuuuhm…" She blushed. "No."

"The textbooks are good for… well… nothing. Anatomy. Really basic stuff…" Aya sighed. "I'll probably make you uncomfortable now, but, do you play with yourself?"

Kiku made a scandalised expression. "T-t-that's not… y-you… n-n-no one does t-t-that."

"Tch." Aya cringed. "The majority of the population does that. 99% of guys do that… Well, not really, it depends on the person, still..."

"B-b-but girls d-don't. I-it's di–"

"I do." She said, looking straight at Kiku confidently. This would be harder than she'd thought. Or rather, it was exactly what she'd feared. Yet, she was determined to change Kiku's mind; especially when the girl was curious about doing stuff with Wakamatsu.

"…W-what?"

######

When Taiga and Haruka returned home, the first thing Taiga noticed were Aya's bed sheets drying up in the living room. He clicked his tongue and made a disgusted grimace. He didn't want to know what went on in his home. Thankfully there were no other traces of Aomine's presence. He hoped.

"Huh, didn't she change sheets on Thursday?" Haruka wondered, but he shrugged it off and yawned. He was too tired. Emotionally and physically. To think his son would score against him in basketball. And then the hike. And the girl in the hospital. He hadn't talked with her; he'd just seen her pass by in a wheelchair to attend her rehab. She seemed to be a good friend to his kids. Very resilient.

"Yes, she did." Taiga forced through his teeth.

"What?" Haruka looked at him curiously.

Oh… Now it clicked. Why she'd done that. They were twins, he freaking knew his sister's thought process. He smirked, forcing himself not to blush. "Well, Aomine stayed over." He said nonchalantly.

Ooooooh, the shades changing on Haruka's face were priceless. From blue to green to burgundy. "I'M KILLING HIM!" He roared, making Derek jump. The poor guy had no idea what was going on, except Aomine's name.

"You're free to try." Taiga hummed and walked to his room. There was a ton of messages blaring at him from his phone; he'd ignored it all before, but he should check out what had caused the string of conversation in the team's chat. And he was tired.

######

"Enjoyed your weekend?" Daisuke asked the moment Daiki walked through the door, making his son blush.

"Don't be creepy." He retorted, while being suffocated by the dogs. They had missed him.

He laughed, leaning against the wall. "I don't wish to know a thing. You just look… different."

"Different?"

"More mature? Steadier? I can't complain. Though careful if Haruka-san finds out."

Daiki smirked. "Oh, he will…" He wanted to see the face… "Anyway, uhm… Would it be okay to take Aya to the last seminar with us?"

"She wants to come along?"

"Mhm, is it okay with you?"

"Totally. Did her father agree?"

Daiki raised an eyebrow like Are you kidding? "She said she was past asking permissions."

He chuckled. "What a girl. Okay then, I'll book one more spot. You two wanna share a room?"

"They're gonna tease us."

"They will anyways, you can as well enjoy it to the fullest."

######

Aya returned home drained. She had to give quite an extensive lecture to Kiku about Kiku's own body. And reference her to some books, as the girl was near passing out from information overload in connection with shyness and total lack of real dick awareness.

"Tadaima." She drawled when she walked into the kitchen with a yawn.

"Where were you?" Haruka asked with his arms crossed over his chest.

"At Kiku's."

"Don't lie to me."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not lying to you."

"Did he stay here?"

"Yes. Two nights." She said, staring at her father. Taiga in the background gave her thumbs up with a thread-carefully gesture.

His face made the rainbow changes again. Settling on burgundy once more. He so wanted to shout at her. But that stubborn, challenging but wary expression of hers forced him to rein in on his temper. He hated it, but he didn't have the right to act strict and yell at her for boys anymore. Especially not after the talk he'd gotten from his own parents. His daughter was grown up already. It was his own fault he'd missed the process.

"He didn't hurt you, right?" He asked finally with a resignation on his face, but scorching fire in his eyes.

Aya blinked in surprise. He had no idea this earned him respect from her. "No, he wouldn't."

The certainty with which she said it, the look in her eyes… Like her mother. He couldn't fight that kind of love or it'd destroy him. Her bond with that arrogant guy was as strong as he'd had with Keiko. He wouldn't win even if he burned the whole world. "I will throttle him if he does."

She nodded, measuring her father. The trip to her grandparents changed him somehow. "I believe that."

"Good." He said and then sighed. "So… are you two gonna open the box or not?"

The twins exchanged confused looks. Then Taiga brought the gift. Inside was the same medallion they'd returned to Haruka. This one used to be Keiko's. They'd thought it'd been lost. They stared at it longingly. Their mom's treasure.

Haruka was looking at it tenderly. "I thought so." He breathed out. "So they can be together again."

"What do you mean?" Taiga blinked at his father, not getting it.

The old man took off the medallion off his neck. It rocked like a pendulum while he looked at it, then he stretched his hand to Taiga. "This is now yours." He said. "That one is Aya's." He cocked his chin towards the box. "She wanted to hand them down to you when you turned 15. Sorry, I'm a year late."

"Eh?!"

"I'm not going to school." Taiga brooded, with his face on the table, picking at his breakfast. At first he'd fallen asleep without checking the messages. But he'd seen them all by now. He wanted to hide, or change schools… Anything would be better than his team knowing he could dance.

"That's serious." Aya said grimly and sat opposite him. When Taiga played with his food… it was usually some real disaster. "What happened?"

"I'm killing Kouta. He deserves a slow and painful death."

"If you want me to help, I need a reason." What had Kouta to do with Taiga's school? No one from Seirin knew the guy.

"They found out!"

"What did they find out? Those boxers with funky mice? Or the plush bunny you love?"

"Leave Mr. Ears out of this." He snapped at her. He hadn't slept with the plush for years now, he just couldn't bring himself to throw it out.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"They've seen the dancing videos." He grumbled, stabbing the yolk of his sunny side up with his fork.

"You don't have to kill the food for that." Aya winced, watching the breakfast she'd made suffer. The yolk bled all over his plate, soaking into a piece of bread. He was too annoyed to mind the murder he'd just committed.

"Easy for you to say, Ms. World Champion. Your guys already know."

"I didn't want them to. And now yours do too. Kuroko-kun has known for a long time. He doesn't mind."

"I'm gonna be teased to no ends! It's embarrassing."

"It's cool."

He sighed heavily and gave her a desperate look.

"Look, Daiki's seen us dancing. The acro from the summer and more. Honestly? I think he was surprised and awed. But he did not make fun of it."

"THE BASTARD KNOWS TOOOOO?!" He flared up. "You're terrible!"

Oh, fuck. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned Daiki… "Sorry? He found it out on his own."

"That doesn't help your case, traitor." He growled, glaring daggers at her.

"Oh, don't be a kid, mister. You know something they don't! They might make fun now, but once they need a lesson for whatever reason, they'll crawl to you for help. And your teammates aren't dickheads."

######

To Taiga's surprise, as much as they discussed his dancing in the chat, they were disturbingly quiet during the morning practise. They gave him curious looks, whispered around, but no one said a thing. He didn't get it. It was worse than straight-on teasing.

By the afternoon, he couldn't stand it anymore. "What the fuck?! If you wanna mock me, go ahead!" He challenged them during the practise.

A hair tie shot by Riko snapped at his cheek. "Language!" The young coach scolded him. She hated when they sweared and cursed like that.

"Indeed, Kagami-kun. You knowing how to dance is not as big of a deal as you make it out." Kuroko spoke up from behind him, making Taiga jump in start.

"Not a big deal?" Koganei's cat-like grin hinted otherwise. "Have you seen him? He could probably propel you up to dunk, Kuroko. You're about Aya-chan's size."

Kuroko gave him an unimpressed look. "I'm certainly heavier than Aya-chan."

"Uhm, actually, you're not." Taiga said, scratching his cheek.

"WHAT!"

"YOU'RE LYING!"

"COULD YOU PICK HIM UP THAT HIGH?"

"AND ME?"

"SHUT UP!" Hyuuga tried to over-shout the commotion with a vein popping on his forehead. Unsuccessfully.

"Can you do a split?!"

"A back flip?!"

"Have you seen Aya-chan's boobs?" Someone asked, but no one could tell who it really was.

And it was spiralling out of hand. The guys were full on discussing Aya's weight, dancing skills, the way her hips looked… Some moves she'd done with Taiga during the dance. Some of them were blushing. Taiga was arguing back, shouting at them to stop sexualising his twin, that it was gross and she was taken. And NOT BY HIM. The redhead's face was scarlet from embarrassment. He'd never thought too much about dancing with Aya, but these idiots… Mitobe was trying to back him up (probably, he could never guess what that guy was trying to convey through his gestures as he never spoke). Kuroko too.

Hyuuga face palmed desperately. "Can't we kill them?" He asked Riko and Kiyoshi, who were standing at one side, watching in disbelief.

"Koganei?" Riko raised her eyebrow, that one was the source of this mayhem. "Go ahead, but we need Kagami for the matches." She grumbled, a small blush creeping on her face too, as she heard some of the questions. Obviously they had forgotten about the girl in the gym. A huge mistake.

She always used her whistle to get their attention. Now she turned to Kiyoshi. "Teppei, could you get their attention?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You sure?"

"I wouldn't ask otherwise." She said and covered her ears, Hyuuga following suit.

Kiyoshi shrugged and brought his fingers to his mouth, letting out an eardrums piercing whistle. The boys froze in shock and turned to the trio of leaders, or mother hens, with wide eyes. When they saw the murderous aura surrounding Riko, they paled and backtracked further away from her.

"Kagami-kun!"

"Hai!" He sprang to attention.

"You're leading the next practise."

"Huh?!"

Her lips twisted into a devilish smile. "With all that dancing, you're surely stretched out more than you've let on. Why not let them taste the regular practise you'd have with Aya-chan? Expand our horizons!"

Taiga blinked at her in surprise. Then he smirked dangerously. "Ossu." He accepted the offer. He'd have to discuss this with Aya, but oh, they had no idea what was awaiting them. He'll make them feel all that teasing. On his behalf, as well as his sister's. Though he was still a bit angry at her.

Everyone else groaned in complaint.

"Now, if you can shout and complain, I s'pose you can go run thirty laps outside!"

"Nooooo."

"Make it forty!" Riko clapped in delight. "Chop-chop! The practise ends in an hour!"

######

Seth was sitting on his usual spot in one of the Kyou's bars with his usual mint tea set in front of him. He's been coming here thrice a week for over a year. Once a week there was some event, concert of a local band, dancing performance of a local group or a club or a pair, or a small competition, or a quiz… It kept him entertained.

He knew he should've gone away. He should've disappeared as Haruka had ordered him to. But he couldn't bear the idea of being unreachable. Kyou's bars… He made sure that if something happened, if they needed him again, they would find him. This bartender didn't know him, and he never talked about himself and his life despite the staff's tries. At first, they gave him strange looks for coming so often and ordering only mint tea or coffee and no alcohol; he'd either read, or watch the other occupants, which was strange too. But later they learned that the man was not trouble, no drug dealer or any of the wild ideas they'd had. Just a lonely middle aged cabby driver. So the staff eventually accepted him as their regular.

He sighed quietly and stirred the tea, looking around the almost empty bar. Monday evenings were like that. Quiet and empty. He missed the twins so much. Everyone in that household, really. They'd grown to him like a family. They were his family. The only one he had left. He didn't want to lose that again.

"So a cabby driver in London, eh?" Someone grabbed him around his shoulders and sat on the chair next to him. "Found ya~" Kyou grinned widely. He was so glad to have finally found the man and he had not changed in the slightest.

"I made it easy for you." Seth hummed; a small smile settling on his lips. He'd been hoping, praying for this day to come. After watching over the twins for about eight years, it was so damn difficult to find his place on earth again.

"I thought you might." He waved at the bartender with a friendly smile. He had a glass of whisky in front of him in no time. "Thanks George." The main bartenders were always responsible for running their assigned bar; they knew Kyou and Kyou knew them very well. They were friends, but they were also Kyou's subordinates he trusted the most. George knew he needed to give those two some privacy. He'd talk to Kyou later on. "So a cabby driver, really?" Kyou turned his red eyes back on Seth.

"What did you think?" He chuckled in amusement, then his eyes hardened and he sighed. "I'm really good at two things, Kyou. Driving and killing people. If there's a chance of me returning to the twins I can't get K.I.A., I can't return to the army either, so I'd rather be a plain cabby driver than a mercenary again. Besides, I already have enough blood on my hands." He looked at his hands; he could never forget some of those faces, the terror, the blood… No matter how much he wanted to. He could never walk that path again.

"Mmm… Three things, actually." Kyou said with a warm smile on his face. Seth was about two years younger, though he'd been through things, terrors, Kyou couldn't even start imagining. He'd known the man's history. It was so cruel. And yet, Seth had managed to become the awesome fatherly figure, the hero for the twins… What strength that took? What character and heart must one have?

Seth raised an eyebrow in question.

"Parenting the two."

"Yeah, but they saved me first." He hummed.

"Really? And aren't you the one who broke their stupid childish argument? Who took that first step of getting back up?"

"I snapped at them, so I could sleep out a hangover and then drink and dwell in self-pity some more. Gee' you people are unbelievable." Seth would never let a person like himself, with that past, guard his kids; then again, he couldn't have been more grateful for that chance. He still had no idea how Gabriela and Kyou had managed to push Haruka into agreeing and taking him in for the job, but he had an idea they made up some acceptable story and Haruka didn't know all that much about him. "So? What brings you to chat with a random old cabby driver, Kyou?"

"Old? Pche, I'm older than you, kid." He laughed. "Anyways, when does your contract here end?" He asked with a twinkle in his eyes. Seth was a man who'd finish his tasks, so he prayed the contract was only short term and would be soon over.

"Why?" He was careful about this, but… Could he hope?

"Why'd you think? They miss you. The new driver, the young soldier boy is good, but… You're wanted back home."

He exhaled and chuckled. Yes! "November. The contract ends on 30th November."

"Well then… You'll be going home then. Wanna something more suitable to celebrate?" He circled the whisky temptingly in the glass before downing it.

"It is tempting, but you know I can't fall back there."

"One won't make you fall back there."

"No. I'd thought that before and then I didn't dare look Robin in the eyes for a week… So, what happened that he changed his mind?" He'd been aware twins weren't in LA anymore and that they were safe, but…

"Uuuuhm… A lot of things… But I've promised to Aya I'd get you back."

His eyes narrowed. If this was promised to Aya, then something had fucked up marvellously. "I have the whole night. And I want to know everything."

A/N: Well, whew, a lot of things happening in here! I hope the flow was still acceptable and no one was too OOC. Taiga's found out, and we meet Seth, finally.

I'm not sure about the "lemon" warnings in this one - so if I should "correct" the placing of it, please let me know.

I'm not rather not promising when the next chapter will be out. I'm working on it though. :)

Let me know what you think and remember, reviews are appreciated, but never necessary.

S.